MICRO TOOLS: THE INVISIBLE SYNAPSE was an exhibition developed by KoozArch in collaboration with (ab)Normal at Alcova for the Milanese FuoriSalone.

The project was a research into the process of making and an exploration of the notion of ‘Tool’, beyond this as extension of the human body. Before pen & paper, the micro-tools are the inner software of designers, the “immemori memorie” which subconsciously ignite our designs. Taking as a first platform the context of the Design week where in 2017 more than 1841 exhibitors from 33 different countries showcased products at the intersection of design, technology, and sustainability, we want to uncover the unacknowledged apparatuses which lie at the start of the creative process. From the ‘macro’ tools through which we model our ideas to the ‘micro’ tools of inspiration we collect daily and which inevitably but almost invisibly leave an imprint.
On this occasion we join (ab)Normal in inviting a curated selection of architects & designers to unveil and reveal their sources of inspiration. At a time when digital platforms have become our Mecca of inspiration, from the likes of pinterest to tumblr, instagram amongst others, we strive to draw our attention back to the physical object as well as its space of exchange. Inspired by Duchamp’s ‘Boîte-en-valise’, a portable miniature monograph of the artists’ work, we ask to present and design one’s own ‘valise of inspiration’ contained within a maximum volume of 40x40x15cm.
As Stewart Brand said in Whole Earth Catalogue, we are ‘stressing one’s potentiality to decide his own education, to find his inspiration, to shape his ambience and share this journey with whoever is interested.’

All images © Louis De Belle